Review

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

[Editorial] 7 Meals You Meet in K-Dramas

Is it just me or
is everyone who watched kdrama are always craving for any food or beverages or
dessert the actor or actresses ate? I’m always, always, always craving for some
k-food or k-snack
during k-drama-watching. Korean actors and actresses seem to have some magic stuff going on while they’re eating
their food. It makes viewers salivates and face their ruined diet program.
Among numerous Korean food and beverages showcased in k-dramas, there are
several K-Meals that often exhibit themselves in a drama. Let’s meet them and get drool!

1.Tteokbokki

This chewy and spicy rice cake-based
food is Korean street food that gains popularity thanks to k-drama actors and actresses. A lot of
dramas feature tteokbokki as the actor and actresses’ meal during their date time,
hangout with friend, or sightseeing at night time. Tteokbokki succeed in making
their invasion to several countries, including my country, Indonesia. In here,
tteokbokki is
pretty famous. You’ll find no difficulties in finding tteokbokki in Indonesia’s
capital city Jakarta.

Here are several
k-dramas that feature tteokbokki.

Princess Hours
(2006)

The female lead
in this drama, Shin Chae Kyung (Yoon Eun Hye), loves to spend time with her
friends to eat
tteokbokki near their school. You will meet tteokbokki quite often in this
drama

The Heirs (2013)

The Heirs also
feature tteokbokki. Tteokbokki restaurant become a memorable place for one of
its casts, Cho Young Do (Kim Woo Bin). Young Do supposed to meet his mother in
the restaurant before she leaves him. Moreover, the tteokbokki restaurant also happen to be
the place where he spend his “last meeting” with Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye)
before Eun Sang exiled by Kim Tan’s (Lee Min Ho) father.

2.Ramyeon

Ramyeon is the
ultimate k-dramas food. Almost every k-dramas feature this dish in their
production. From super rich people to superfluous poor people, all eat Ramyeon.
I think I don’t have to explain further about this dish because I believe
everyone already familiar with the food I would like to name as God’s gift.

Ramyeon is not
only delicious to eat by casts in k-dramas, this food also often become a
“silent witness” in the love story between the male and female lead in a drama.
I remember one of Korean woman’s pick-up lines is that she will offer the man she likes to eat a ramyeon in her house, and if he
agrees then the man also like the woman. It sounds like “Do you want to eat
ramyeon in my place?” This questions (from what i know, pardon me if i’m wrong) means
that a woman has a feeling for the man and wants to know him more.

Here is k-drama that feature
ramyeon.

Prime Minister
and I (2013)

The drama shows
that eating ramyeon together with your opposite sex – particularly your fake
husband – can lead into something romantic and cute. The famous ramyeon-eating
scene from this drama is when Nam Da Jung (Yoona) enjoys a pot of ramyeon with
her fake husband Prime Minister Kwon Yool (Lee Beom Soo). During their ramyeon-eating time, the
two accidentally bite the same noodle which almost makes them kiss each other.
Sweet, isn’t it?

3.Kimbap

Kimbap is a
seaweed rice rolls that also happen to be a famous Korean snack or Korean street food. Some
k-dramas often feature kimbap, even though not as often as Ramyeon or tteokbokki.

Here is k-drama
that features Kimbap.

Full House
(2004)

The most
memorable kimbap-eating scene is probably from Full House. Song Ji Eun (Song Hye
Gyo) is making kimbap for her fake husband Lee Young Jae (Rain) and crew at his
fashion photo shoot. This scene is making me want to eat kimbap and have a
boyfriend, or a fake husband (who looks like Rain).

4.Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is
pretty famous in Korea. Korean (from
what i know, pardon me if i’m wrong) used to enjoy this
delicious meal while hanging out with friend or watching football competition
at home. Fried chicken and beer are compulsory dish if you want to invite your
friends to hang out at your home.

Here is k-drama
that features Fried Chicken.

My Love from
Another Star (2014)

Cheon Song Yi
(Jun Ji Hyun) is not only popularizing “Sawry” catchphrase and her lipstick
color, the beautiful Song Yi also promote fried chicken and beer to other
countries. From what I read, there are a lot of fried chicken restaurant opens
in China after this drama airs. You all must not forget the scene where Song Yi
gleefully eating fried chicken with her “bear” doll, right?

5.Kimchi

One, two, three
KIMCHIII!! This traditional and authentic Korean food is probably the most
popular. I think Korean can’t eat without Kimchi, same like Indonesian can’t
eat without “sambal”. Kimchi is
mandatory component for almost all dishes. Kimchi also feature in all k-dramas.

Here is k-drama
that features Kimchi.

Marriage not
Dating (2014)

Joo Jang Mi (Han
Groo) took Kong Ki Tae’s (Yeon Woo Jin) kimchi with her after the latter refuse to eat that. Jang Mi eats
kimchi with almost everything, including pasta made by Han Yeo Reum (Jinwoon).
The way she ate kimchi and that pasta makes me want to try that combination.

6.Soju

If ramyeon is
the ultimate k-food in k-dramas then soju is the ultimate k-drink. Soju is the
reason why (almost) all the male lead realizes her feeling for the female lead. This
traditional Korean alcohol drinks also the reason behind the female lead
confession to her male lead. Soju is the reason behind the piggyback which will lead to the pounding heart. Hence, soju has a vital role in k-dramas.

Here is k-drama
that features Soju.

Pinocchio (2014)

Thanks to soju,
Cap Hwang (Lee Pil Mo) is able to cover Yoon Yoo Rae (Lee Yoo Bi) with his
jacket and watching her during the night. At this just-ended drama, Yoo Rae
always drinks soju when she’s unhappy and end up drunk in front of reporter’s
office.

7.Coffee

Coffee is also a
mandatory drink in k-dramas. This beverage frequently becomes a “silent
witness” during blind date, business agreement, female/male lead’s part time
job place, and many more. A genius
scriptwriter also sometimes uses coffee as a crucial property for romance
between the drama’s two leads.

Here is k-drama
that features Coffee

Secret Garden
(2010)

Coffee has an
important role in the romance between our two leads in this drama. Viewers will
not forget one of most epic romantic moments in the history of k-dramas that
happen in Secret Garden because a cup of coffee. You know what I’m talking
about, right? It’s the famous coffee-foam-kissing-scene between Kim Joo Won
(Hyun Bin) and Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji Won). From that scene onward, k-drama fan will
never think of coffee foam the same again. As what Kim Seung Hye in Gag
Concert’s Viewer’s Opinion always said “Thank you Coffee!”

That’s it,
that’s the 7 k-meals you will likely to meet in k-dramas. Which one you want to meet the most? ;)